Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 993901,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/993901/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 207,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13188,
        "legal_name": "Getrude Musuruve Inimah",
        "slug": "getrude-musuruve-inimah"
    },
    "content": "There are many issues in our society affecting women and young girls. We read in the newspapers cases where teenage and adolescent girls are impregnated. We hear of fetuses being thrown into toilets by the young mothers. Last week, I saw in the media a mother who had thrown her baby into a pit latrine. There are several cases of babies stolen from hospitals. Sometimes medics have colluded in such heinous arrangements. Further, we have read real cases where husband and wife partying ways simply because they do not have a child. Most of those issues are now being addressed in this Bill. I congratulate Sen. Kihika for coming up with such a noble Bill. The Bill will minimise issues of couples separating for not having children and adolescents being cajoled into getting pregnant, not knowing what to do and then end up throwing away their babies because of lack of knowledge. Madam Temporary Speaker, if this Bill can be implemented, we will reduce such cases. It will also reduce cases where you find women with disabilities are raped and get babies without their consent and do not know what to do with them or where to go. This Bill is addressing such issues. Kenya, among other African nations, signed the Abuja Declaration of 2001. African governments asserted and agreed that they will put aside 15 per cent of the national revenue into health improvement. Kenya being a signatory is mandated by international laws to ensure they honour the Abuja Declaration. What Kenya signed in the Abuja Declaration 2001 will cascade to county governments. This is because they have also been mandated by this Bill to ensure they take reproductive healthcare as an issue of great concern. This Bill also comes in handy to putting into effect Article 43(1)(a) of the Constitution that says that everyone has a right to the highest attainable standards of health. So, if it is implemented, we are going to defend our Constitution in terms of service delivery to everyone even to the counties. That is our mandate as a Senate. Madam Temporary Speaker, the objects of this Bill are very clear in terms of provision of the right to the highest standards of reproductive healthcare, provide the right to make decisions with regards to reproductive healthcare and for connected purposes. When it comes to reproductive healthcare not many people, especially young girls, are aware about their reproductive system. They do not understand themselves and sometimes they get into problems because they do not know that they have a right to reproductive healthcare. This Bill is actually seeking to reduce mortality and morbidity rates in the country. It this Bill takes effect, then we are going to have very few cases of women dying during childbirth or giving birth to severely disabled children and who cannot survive out of the womb. Therefore, if it is followed to the letter, we will avoid such scenarios. It is the obligation of the national Government to implement this Bill because health is one its Big Four Agenda. We are in support of the Big Four Agenda, but it cannot be implemented without resources. Resources have to be set aside and taken to the counties. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}